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Total Eclipse - Tales of the Shaman


kathmandu

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Listening to this album now gives the same kind of vibe when I first received the Electric Universe's Cosmic Experience album, took the plastic off, put in the machine and pressed play.I mean feels like 'ah good music, new music from legendary act.'

 

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Yes, positive. :)

 

Well the first time I listened to it I thought it was lacking in energy. Then since the third time listening to, I have been listening to the album repeatedly. It has what Pleiadians' Seven Sisters was missing but its not like Waiting for a New Life. "If I could discover just one of these things, what eternity is for example. I wouldn't care if they did think I was crazy."

 

ps. please excuse me of comparing with other albums and artists.

 

Electric Universe's Cosmic Experience was a classic on first listen don't about this one.

Lots of sounds are similar to lots of other previous psytrance but still the whole album sounds quite fresh and pleasant.

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For some reason, I just cannot get into this album. Maybe I need to listen to it a few more times or in a different mood. I hope that it will grow on me, but as of now it is very boring to me and very un innovative. It lacks substance and it also doesnt keep my attention. Its all been done before.

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Total Eclipse - Tales of the Shaman

Mandala Records

November, 2009

 

 

1. Tales of the Shaman TOTAL ECLIPSE VS ECOSPHERE

 

2. Mescalito Ghost TOTAL ECLIPSE

 

3. The Quiz TOTAL ECLIPSE

 

4. Present Past TOTAL ECLIPSE

 

5. Pochutchut TOTAL ECLIPSE VS ECOSPHERE

 

6. Cyber Party TOTAL ECLIPSE

 

7. Aztecodogon TOTAL ECLIPSE VS ECOSPHERE

 

8. Apprenti Sorcier TOTAL ECLIPSE VS PHONIC REQUEST

 

9. Empregnatizer TOXIC ENGINE

 

10. Espagnolizar rmx (The Curandero mix) TOTAL ECLIPSE

 

 

I know what you're going to say. Here we go again, another of the old school pioneers coming back with a full-on effort to sully their legacy. Why even bother, unless it's for the dough. Who is to say? I do know however, that what was once was a three man outfit is down to just one Stephane Holweck. The group responsible for the goa trance classics Le Lotus Bleu, Free Lemonade, Aliens, and the Furnace is now a one man show with his latest full release in 10 years. So the question in my mind is it goa, a hybrid between psy and goa (allowing memories of the past) or just the latest in a once great project offering a shitshow of full-on?

 

 

Before I answer that, check out that cover. Absolutely beautiful, possibly one of the best of the year. There are mushrooms and flowing colors and eyes...a perfect picture for the music. Aesthetics only. But let's be honest. Stephane is in a no win situation here. If this album doesn't consist of layer upon layer of Goa, then the purists won't be happy. If he doesn't change his style, then he will be accused of not evolving. A fickle scene we belong to.

 

Bottom line, this album is not a return to the golden age and does consist of full-on tracks. The whole album is rather vanilla to me. It's not terrible, but it's not that great either. Unfortunately as a pioneer of Goa, that is what you run into. Perhaps my own expectations were too high, but I didn't hear one track that would stay with me.

 

I suppose the best track is the the final one, which is a remix to his track from Violent Relaxation.

 

Nothing more to see here people, keep it moving.

 

Psyshoppage

 

Mdk

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Well just like Trance2MoveU said before me, Total Eclipse is in a lose-lose situation here: make full-on and all the oldschool fans will accuse them of being sell-offs, make oldschool and the new crowd will never really get into it. However, there still is secret option no. 3: make "intelligent" full-on, were oldschool elements and melodies blend in with the powerfull rolling bassline. And luckily enough, and just like Electric Universe, Space Tribe and Chi-AD, there are some golden nuggets lost in the sea of blant full-on tracks on this album. First 5 tracks are just full-on fodder, I just skip those. But don't press that forward button too fast cause Cyber Party is a really nice one! There are some really nice catchy melodies in there, I quite like this, although I must also admit that it is still not A-class material (but a very close B+ nonetheless). Then some more full-on fodder until Empregnatizer, which is actually made by Toxic Engine, not Total Eclipse... This is a pretty nice industrial/slow full-on crossover, something I would've expected to come from Tim Schuldt actually. Then comes the closing track Espagnolizer which is a remix of their classic track, but which also reaks of Shpongle, and notably the Total Eclipse remix of Dorset Perception.

 

So I'd give this a 2/5: 3 nice tracks (6,9,10), although certainly nothing really memorable in there.

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  • 1 month later...

Gave this another listen today after it was sitting on the shelf for a while, and I have to say that it sounds better this time around. It must have grown on me a bit, plus I listened to it on a better sound system. That always helps.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 years later...

"Cyber party" got the same melody as the old track "Blade runner".

The whole album is alright, nothing bad, nothing great.

I disagree with your statements Mdk and Lemmiwinks, I don't think people would have blamed Total eclipse for releasing a pure goa album in the same style as Delta aquarids and Violent relaxation, as long as it is good, people don't mind.

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